Fresh produce is typically transported from a field to a packing facility in a bin. Each bin may vary in size and is typically constructed of plastic or wood, for example. Each bin is reused several times in a given season, and may be used for harvesting different kinds of produce throughout a calendar year. With each use, each bin accumulates a buildup of organic debris, which may include dirt and caked on mud, leaves, twigs, and fruit and/or vegetable particles. The remaining debris may tend to harbor and promote the growth of bacteria and various pathogens that are potentially harmful to the produce. Moreover, government regulations may require that each bin be sanitized before reuse to avoid contamination of produce. After use, each bin is placed on a trailer for transport to the next field harvest location for reuse in transporting the produce to the packing facility.
At the packing facility, each produce bin is typically placed on a conveyer that will convey the bin and its contents to a dump mechanism. The dump mechanism will invert the produce bin to a degree that with contents of the bin will be removed from the bin. The produce that is dumped from the bin may leave organic debris, such as leaves and twigs, in the bin. The process of placing produce in the bin during the field harvest may cause dirt and/or mud to accumulate on the exterior and interior of the bin. Additionally, placing the bin on the ground during the field harvest may result in the bin collecting dirt and/or debris, as well as potentially produce pathogens. Pathogens may reside in the soil, and, indeed, grove owners will typically trim lower branches to avoid contact with the soil. Some current methods of unpacking the produce either do not remove the organic debris from the bin, or the organic debris is manually removed at a remote location by manual labor and the use of a hand held pressurized washer system. The manual removal of the organic debris is time consuming, expensive to the packing facility, and inefficient in removing the debris.
Prior art attempts, such as those provided by Salazar Machine and Steel, Inc. of Immokalee, Fla., and Durand-Wayland, Inc. of LaGrange, Ga., have automated the debris removal methods. Salazar Machine and Steel, Inc.'s Crate Washer line includes a system that places each crate onto a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt moves the crate into the system where it is washed and sanitized with chemicals via pressurized spray nozzles.
Similarly, a Durand-Wayland, Inc. bin washer system includes a multi-stage system where a bin enters the system in an upright position. A carousel rotates the bin a quarter turn so that it is positioned on its side, which allows a second bin to enter the system. A new bin enters the system and exits the system with each quarter turn. A high-pressure spray system provides cleaning to each bin in the system at each position. A similar Durand-Wayland, Inc. system is a liner floor system that continuously moves a single bin through a high-pressure spray to clean each bin.
However, the prior art attempts use only a pressurized spray solution to attempt to clean each produce bin. The use of a spray solution will likely remove a portion of the organic debris, but may not remove the debris that may be lodged in the bin openings or the debris that has adhered to the bin surface. Still, further improvements are needed to remove organic debris from a produce bin.